Nine simulcasts next season, down from eleven. Four of the nine run over four hours, and a couple close to four hours. All except Hamlet have two intermissions.

All of which makes me wonder how well Salome and Orfeo did at the box office...as single one-hour operas instead of being paired in a double bill. Next year's schedule sounds like a response to criticism of offering one-acts as standalones. But opera schedules are drawn up four and five years in advance, aren't they? I'm just wondering what's going on.

In fact, there AREN'T any one-act operas on the schedule for next year, broadcast or not. And though I don't have any statistics to offer, Salome seems to have been well liked and well attended. On the whole, though, a 4-hour show, with 2 intermissions, is pretty much the norm these days. So I wouldn't be inclined to read anything into the change.

The Met website says tickets for the simulcasts go on sale next month, but they're actually on sale NOW. The first two operas both come in October, Tosca and Aida. Andrew, if I remember correctly, you don't care much for either of those -- right? I'm going to both of them.

Incidentally, a few months ago I rented the Angela Gheorghiu / Roberto Alagna CD titled Tosca: The Movie because Ruggiero Raimondi was singing Scarpia and I'd never heard him in the role. But Mr. & Mrs. Alagna managed to accomplish something that up to then I had thought was not possible: they made Tosca boring. ::sigh::

Originally posted by Barbara:The first two operas both come in October, Tosca and Aida. Andrew, if I remember correctly, you don't care much for either of those -- right? I'm going to both of them.

You do remember correctly, Barbara. Of course, they both have lots of good music and a number of striking dramatic situations, but overall I find Aida dull and Tosca overblown. The one-dimensional characters don't help, either. I don't go out of my way to see them.